To Be...A Spartan MD

Though few initially anticipated the pandemic would stretch into a new year, the College of Human Medicine worked tirelessly as the months carried on to adjust and ensure the safety of our students, communities, and patients alike. Now into a second spring, t he College of Human Medicine Office of Admissions aimed to document the experiences of our student body. Recruiting some new students to share their experiences, our diverse group recaps the winter months leading into spring. A few seasons into the pandemic and beyond initial issues, students faced evolving challenges. Click below to read their great insight.

Not many things came easy this last year. Yet despite plenty of disruptions and challenges, the Class of 2021 responded honorably in every way. That included displaying high levels of poise and patience during a residency selection cycle steeped in uncertainty amid a global pandemic that has upended life beyond just medicine. While the 2021 edition of Match Day marked the second in which fourth-year College of Human Medicine (CHM) students and their families were forced to celebrate virtually on the account of the pandemic, this year's seniors were the first to see their entire residency match process pivot to virtual.  Going online certainly presented it's hurdles, but the virtual nature of this year's interviews also helped to eliminate some of the larger barriers—time and cost—that are associated with the process during more traditional cycles.  The 2021 Main Residency Match became the largest in National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) history, with 38,106 total p...

White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL), an MSU College of Human Medicine student group seeking social justice and health care equity for Black patients, is working to develop an alumni project to honor Black physicians. The group’s goal is to emphasize the importance of social activism as a necessary component to becoming a trustworthy physician within one’s community. Assistant Dean for Diversity and Cultural Initiatives and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, serves as the group’s faculty mentor. “WCBL’s  mission—which includes dismantling racism in medicine and promoting the health, well-being, and self-determination of people of color—aligns well the our mission that includes promoting the dignity and inclusion of all people,” Dr. Lowery said. “Being a physician provides us with an opportunity to not just provide health care but to advocate and educate improving the lives of our patients and our communities.” Wisdom for future Spartan MDs...

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Mott Community College (MCC) have agreed to establish a cooperative program of premedical/medical education by which Mott Community College students who transfer as undergraduate premedical students to Michigan State University will have the opportunity to be granted an early assurance for admission to MSU College of Human Medicine. The Early Assurance Opportunity (EAO) became official on April 20, at a virtual ceremony including MCC President Beverly Walker-Griffea, PhD, and MSU College of Human Medicine’s Interim Dean Aron Sousa, MD, and Joel Maurer, MD, assistant dean for admissions.  The EAO will provide an enhanced opportunity for admission to medical school for MCC students transferring to MSU as pre-medical students who are interested in working with underserved populations.  These students will receive academic advising directed at admission to MSU College of Human Medicine, and will be enrolled in a ...

Now over a month into the new year, many are still committed to New Year's resolutions. Traditionally, resolutions are aimed at changing undesired traits and/or behaviors, accomplishing personal goals, continuing good practices, and generally improving life over the next calendar year. For those looking to apply to medical school, it is helpful to take time and think about how to stay on the right track.  We've discussed here on our blog the ways in which undergrads can position themselves to prepare for the medical school application process. We've also discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting, well, everything. Despite the pandemic, there are several things to consider when planning out what moves to make next. This all depends on where you line up in the process and what you need while on your journey.  Building a strong application is a bit of a longitudinal process and the stage in your progress matters. If wanting to add some resolutions framed around the me...

The College of Human Medicine recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis is life-disrupting for everyone. Colleges and universities are navigating this crisis in varying ways. One way is to institute a Pass/Fail grading system. As the pandemic continues, we must consider how students and applicants will be affected moving forward into the latter half of the 2020-2021 academic calendar.  Grades Through Spring 2021   Many colleges and universities have decided to continue instituting a Pass/Fail system for coursework through the spring of 2021. For those of you in which a Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade is rendered for any courses from winter/spring 2020 through spring 2021, CHM will accept that course grade without bias. This includes coursework that is traditionally considered prerequisite or recommended for many medical school admissions processes. The challenge for medical school admissions committees is that accurate and specific information is always preferre...

Among the countless aspects of life disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, one posed a significant problem for the College of Human Medicine: how to continue interviewing students who apply for admission. Until this year, top candidates were invited by the Office of Admissions to our East Lansing or Grand Rapids community campuses for a series of interviews. “I actually thought about this way back at the end of March when I saw that this was not something that was going to go away magically,” said Joel Maurer, MD, the college’s assistant dean for admissions. The answer, he and other administrators decided, was to interview applicants online, which posed multiple technical and logistical obstacles. Before the pandemic, applicants underwent a series of one-on-one interviews with faculty members, each on a specific topic. The college first tried to duplicate that approach online, but it quickly proved unworkable, Maurer said. A better approach was to have each student interviewed through ...